


Mission Accomplished

by infiniterider



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies), Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 19:35:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5838226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infiniterider/pseuds/infiniterider
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He babbles when he's nervous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nerves

"Game face. Game face. Kremlin game face."

Ethan glanced at the former-tech, wondering for the fifth time in as many minutes if this was going to be the mission that finally killed him. He'd never worked with a man this talkative before. He never remembered Benji being the babbling type, but of course, he'd never been on a field mission with the man before, either. Ethan had asked Benji if he'd gone into the field before Budapest, and the answer had been no. He was as green as they came, and his first field assignment had been the usual type for field technicians - behind the scenes dealing with the equipment - not face front, dealing with actual NOC operations. His nervousness was palpable, and he'd chattered non-stop almost from the moment they entered the Kremlin gates. 

Ethan had tried to remain patient - everyone had quirks, right? But the unnecessary talk was definitely becoming a distraction. In any other situation, the running commentary on their situation might have been humorous, but considering what was at stake, and the fact that they were in the **ACTUAL KREMLIN** made it unnerving. 

Benji was in the middle of a rundown of the checkpoints they had just passed when the guard at the final station cleared his throat. "Excuse me, General."

Ethan tensed. Dear God, here it comes. He could sense Benji's nervousness, and he was certain  this was it. Benji would say something in English, or crack in some way, and they'd be arrested, and the world would be shot to hell.

"Your documents, please."

Ethan turned slowly, maintaining his serious expression. He glanced at Benji, noting the "oh-shit" expression on his face. He walked slowly to the guard station, pulling out his fake ID. In his peripheral vision, he noticed that Benji already had the upload sequence running, wisely keeping it low so the guard couldn't see it. Ethan spoke sharply to the guard, while moving as slowly as possible without causing undue suspicion.

Not slow enough, of course. The transmitter hadn't loaded his falsified information in time for the guard's first scan. Ethan felt sick, but he kept up the angry Russian General act with ease. A moment later, Benji's foot tapped his own, and Ethan demanded the guard try again, smoothly "demoting" him for causing further delay. 

The upload was successful, and the guard was suitably contrite. Ethan glared, but otherwise ignored him. Benji surprised and pleased Ethan by chastising the guard in perfect, accent-free Russian, playing the "indignant assistant to the General" to an absolute tee. Ethan was impressed - suddenly, he didn't feel the impending sense of dread hanging over him that had been there since he been told that one of Cobalt's agents had stolen nuclear launch codes. He had faith in the current IMF recruiters, but he'd never been forced to shove a tech right into the forefront, and Benji had actually handled himself excellently. 

Just as he was about to give his "assistant" a nod of approval, Benji whispered in English again. "I think that went quite well."

Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Just _shut it_ ," he hissed. 

"Sorry," Benji said, speaking in Russian again at least.

They _might_ not die today, but assuming they survived, Ethan was _definitely_ going to have to work on this particular quirk.

* * *


	2. Shields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two guarded ships, brought closer by a storm

"This is really happening. Isn't it?"

There. That was it. The moment he showed a crack in the Impervious Analyst facade. There had been vulnerability in his strained, "What do we do?" inside the drowning car, but it wasn't until this moment that Ethan saw the man's outer defenses shudder ever so slightly against the barrage of stresses that had been piled upon them in the last fifteen minutes.

Ethan looked at the young agent - his arms were crossed tightly over his chest, in what Ethan knew was not just a reaction to the cold. He felt himself soften just a little, his own barriers against the horror of what he'd seen in the car - his mentor, and _friend_ with a bullet through his head - beginning to weaken. "Yeah," he said softly, looking at the other agent with sympathy and understanding in his eyes. Before either could say anything else, Ethan heard the sound of a train's horn blaring. He looked up sharply. "You know what that sound is?"

"It's our ride outta here!"

Brandt was on the move before the words were fully out of his mouth, and Ethan found himself smiling inwardly. Brandt had been shunted, suddenly and unceremoniously, out of the "office" and into what was certainly turning out to be the worst field mission Ethan had ever experienced. But Brandt was resilient - already back to the business of survival, despite his shock. Good. It seemed like a sign that the analyst would be an asset to Ethan's small team, rather than a burden. And right now, everything they'd ever loved or hated, everything they'd ever fought for or against - EVERYTHING could depend on the actions of one man.

Ethan shoved pain, horror, grief to the back of his mind again. Shields back in place, he hopped down from the flat-bed and ran for the train.

 


	3. Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Failure doesn't mean over

"Jupiter? He's gone."

Ethan felt his breathing stop, and he glanced up just in time to see the key to everything walk past with an expression somewhere between confusion and disgust. Ethan looked back at Jane, and there was acute pain in her eyes - the awful sting of failure.

"Did you jump?" he asked, as if he hadn't heard Brandt's frightened yell as he dropped down the shaft.

"SHOULD I _NOT_ HAVE JUMPED??" came the indignant shout. "'CAUSE I JUMPED!"

 _Damn._ "Stand by." 

He walked as casually as he could to his "coworker", aware that her worst fear had just taken place. Failure. There was the slightest tremor in her hand as she reached for the hard liquor. This was it. The moment that could mean Jane accepting that failure and giving up completely.

Ethan gently, but firmly pressed the glass back down, and she looked at him with an almost helpless expression. It was as close as she'd come to tears since he'd met her. Though he hadn't known her for long, he _had_ met her right after the death of her partner. She'd told him of Hanaway's death, and later, of the fact she'd never had the chance to tell Hanaway how she felt about him, and she'd never even come close to shedding a tear. She was the strongest member of his team, and he hated to see her feeling so crushed.

There wasn't much time for lengthy conversation - when was there ever? - but he looked deeply into her eyes, suddenly deciding on a bold move that could make or break the mission, and would hopefully convey Ethan's desire to comfort his teammate as well.

"I'm playing a hunch," he said softly. "Don't hit me."

She looked down, seeming surprised when he reached for her face. There was a little nervous laughter, but without hesitation, Ethan pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly. He could tell she was still shocked, but she yielded to him, opening herself to Ethan's kiss, and responding with an intensity that matched what he knew of her personality.

Ethan felt the presence of someone near them, and he pulled away from Jane slightly. They looked at one another, Jane seeming slightly breathless, and Ethan looking at her with as much confidence and tenderness as he could inject into his expression. The "phone master", or whatever he was called, stood nearby with a tray full of cell phones. A small, sparkly one was chiming. Jane, still slightly disoriented it seemed, took a few seconds to pick out the phone. "Hello?"

"My _god_." Ethan managed to keep from sighing with relief at the sound of Nath's voice through his earpiece. Jane gave him a look, somewhere between relief and gratitude. Ethan kept his eyes serious, letting her know, without words, that he had every confidence that the second time would be a success, and left her to her work.

* * *


	4. Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There IS no giving up.

This is it. This is the time Brandt is sure he's going to crack. He's going to let that indomitable spirit rest for a while, and actually face reality. And it almost happened. Ethan looked crushed when he walked through that door and had to tell them that not only were the codes gone, but they were literally _in_ Hendricks' hands. He'd tried to keep blame off of his face - he hoped he succeeded. Ethan's eyes, his face... his entire body language just spoke of how sick he felt about what had happened. 

But then it didn't happen. He left the room and came back full of fire. Exposed Brandt's secrets, then stormed away, still doggedly determined to repair the situation without their help. And then, there was the call - his call to action. Somehow, he'd managed to get tons of equipment and a goddamn JET. Brandt wanted to clear the air, but Ethan declared it cleared without waiting for explanations. Whatever Brandt was hiding, he didn't care, and he still wanted Brandt on the team. And even though Brandt swore that he would never go into the field again, and he had a perfect out right there, handed to him on a silver platter, for the second time he agreed to follow Ethan Hunt into the unknown with nothing more than a country name and a mini-plane. 

Well. If anybody could turn this jacked up, horrific excuse for a situation into a success, it would have to be Ethan Matthew Hunt.

* * *

This is it. This is the time Benji's sure he's going to crack. He's going to shout, and rage, and declare how incompetent Benji is, because he _is_ incompetent. Because this shouldn't have happened. His fingers fly across the keys, but there's nothing he can do. He's almost afraid to say the words, but he has to. "The system's crashed, we're too late!"

"No no no!" The words come immediately. "He's revealed himself. Benji can you pinpoint Hendricks' location?"

And that fast, Benji is redeemed, and hope is actually an option again. There's another chance to make this right, and by God he's _going_ to do it. Fingers are flying again, and in seconds, Benji has tracked the signal and fed the coordinates through to Ethan. There's the tricky matter of getting Brandt out of the tunnel while the fan's in operation, but he can do this. And then, they'll be off to help Ethan track down that bloody lunatic who's got them into this mess, and all will soon be right with the world. That's just how it has to be, because... because if anyone can make this right, Ethan can.

* * *

This is it. This is the time Jane's sure he's going to crack. Hell, she's cracked. She's about ready to puke right here in this eighteen billion dollar car. Not that it matters what happens to the car now. _The missile's in the air_. That one short sentence from Benji was a death knell to them all. And for a moment, it seemed like it might really happen. He hadn't given up when she told him that they literally did not have enough time to save the world. But now... now that it was in the air, and there was no going back... The car was stopped, and there was a stricken look on his face. He had to know it was the end.

Then, suddenly, his jaw set, his lips narrowed, and he put the car back in gear. He put _himself_ back in gear. They were already on the move, screeching through the streets, dodging pedestrians. "There's gotta be a way to abort the warhead."

Of course! That quickly, hope snuck back into Jane's mind as well. "If there is one, it'll be on the launch device."

"Then we're gonna _get_ that case."

And at that moment, looking at the dogged determination in Ethan's eyes, Jane had absolutely no doubt that they would succeed.

* * *


	5. Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When it all comes together

"Jane, you stay here and cover Benji. Benji, get this thing re-wired and back online." He gripped the flashlight, and made sure to take the safety off his gun. He thought about Hunt, chasing down Hendricks and the case alone. "We can do this."

* * *

Moving too fast, the damn wires were like knives. But, blood notwithstanding, this WILL work as long as Brandt gets the power on. But it's been several minutes, and there isn't any light yet. He's almost completely done with everything, and Brandt isn't back. This can't be right. God, but he wishes Jane wasn't hurt. What the hell could he do? He knew how to fire a gun, but he'd never actually fired it _at_ anyone before. What if he screwed something up? But there was nothing for it, she couldn't go down, and he was the only one left. "He's been gone too long." He made sure he had her attention. "When the power comes on, these two drives go into _this_ bay, okay?" He waited for her acknowledgment, then checked his weapon and went down.

Moments later, he was in a hall aiming his weapon at the furious fight, waiting for the shot. He could still hear Ethan through his earpiece. He sounded frustrated - grunting and there was the sound of slamming. Damn, was it the case? Was he at the case already? What if he gave up before they had a chance to get the power on?

No. That would never happen. Not with Ethan Hunt. When he could get a shot without hurting Brandt, he kept his eyes open, took a breath, and fired.

* * *

She was bleeding. Bad. Her hand was covered with it, and the pain was getting worse. Benji was gone, and she was alone with some giant piece of techno-gear that she had no idea how to operate. What if she did it wrong? WHY did she have to get shot? What if whatever was going on downstairs depended on Benji, and Benji couldn't bring himself to kill someone - it had happened to fresh agents before. DAMMIT. What if they failed, and everything Ethan had to be going through right now came to nothing?

 _We can make it._ She could almost hear his determined voice, as her mind flashed back to that moment in the car when she knew he was insane. _We can make it._ The room lit up. She struggled to her feet, shoved the two drives into place and hoped they weren't too late.

* * *

"I don't know how we ended up together. But I'm glad we did." He placed the phones on the table - one, two, three. "Your missions. Choose to accept them."

There was the slightest tremor - a sense of nervousness that someone might say no, and he wouldn't be able to assemble the perfect team. But Benji and Jane accepted with hardly a moments' hesitation.

And then, the fear was realized when Brandt stepped away without his phone. There was disappointment. Then Brandt's confession, and the realization that the younger agent blamed himself for Julia. Telling the truth had been difficult, but it was worth it to Ethan to be sure that Brandt stayed on the team - didn't go back to the anonymity and the safety of office work. It was worth it to wipe away the guilt that he was partially responsible for.

And to his relief, Brandt accepted the truth well - didn't rage at Ethan for having perpetrated a lie that had left Brandt guilt-ridden for years. There was immense relief, and even a sense that Brandt hoped Ethan still considered him a friend. Which, of course, he did.

Brandt stood up, took the phone and tapped it on the table with a shake of his head. Ethan was left alone, but feeling fulfilled. Now, he could say it, and it would definitely be true. His wife was safe, his team was assembled, and as corny as it might be (dammit, Luther), he still felt it all the same. But just in case Luther was still lurking around waiting to catch him being cheesy, he only said it to himself.

 _Mission accomplished_.


End file.
